The genetic testing firm 23andMe confirmed on Friday that knowledge from a subset of its customers has been compromised. The corporate stated its programs weren’t breached and that attackers gathered the info by guessing the login credentials of a gaggle of customers after which scraping extra individuals’s data from a characteristic referred to as DNA Family. Customers decide into sharing their data via DNA Family for others to see.
Hackers posted an preliminary knowledge pattern on the platform BreachForums earlier this week, claiming that it contained 1 million knowledge factors completely about Ashkenazi Jews. On Wednesday, the actor started promoting what it claims are 23andMe profiles for between $1 and $10 per account, relying on the size of the acquisition. The info consists of issues like a show identify, intercourse, start 12 months, and a few particulars about genetic ancestry outcomes, like that somebody is, say, of “broadly European” or “broadly Arabian” descent. It might additionally embody some extra particular geographic ancestry data. The knowledge doesn’t seem to incorporate precise, uncooked genetic knowledge.
The corporate emphasised in an announcement that it doesn’t see proof that its programs have been breached. It additionally inspired customers to make use of robust, distinctive passwords and allow two-factor authentication to maintain attackers from compromising their particular person accounts utilizing login credentials uncovered in different knowledge breaches.
“We had been made conscious that sure 23andMe buyer profile data was compiled via entry to particular person 23andMe.com accounts,” the corporate stated in an announcement. “We consider that the menace actor might have then, in violation of our phrases of service, accessed 23andme.com accounts with out authorization and obtained data from these accounts.”
The corporate has not been clear on whether or not it has validated the info the menace actor leaked, noting that its investigation is ongoing and that it at the moment has “preliminary outcomes.” A spokesperson for the corporate instructed WIRED that the leaked data is in keeping with a scenario wherein some consumer accounts had been uncovered after which leveraged to scrape knowledge seen in DNA Family. However when pressed on the main points of whether or not the info has been validated, the spokesperson stated that verifying the info is pending and that the corporate can not at the moment verify whether or not the leaked data is actual.
This level is critical each for everybody whose data might have been compromised and since the info posted by the actor claims to incorporate “celebrities.” Entries for technologists Mark Zuckerberg, Elon Musk, and Sergey Brin are all seen within the pattern knowledge, together with “Profile ID,” “Account ID,” identify, intercourse, start 12 months, present location, and fields referred to as “ydna” and “ndna.” It’s unclear if the info for these entries is legit or was inserted. For instance, Musk and Brin seem to have the identical profile and account IDs within the leak.